Is it possible to have mini strokes

This helps to prevent a stroke. Even if the symptoms disappear while you're waiting for an ambulance to arrive, you still need to be assessed in hospital. You should be referred to see a specialist within 24 hours of the onset of your symptoms. A TIA is a warning sign that you may be at risk of having a full stroke in the near future, and an assessment can help doctors determine the best way to reduce the chances of that happening.

If you think you may have had a TIA previously, but the symptoms have passed and you did not seek medical advice at the time, make an urgent appointment with a GP. During a TIA, 1 of the blood vessels that supply your brain with oxygen-rich blood becomes blocked. This blockage is usually caused by a blood clot that's formed elsewhere in your body and travelled to the blood vessels supplying the brain, although it can also be caused by pieces of fatty material or air bubbles.

People over 55 years of age and people of Asian, African or Caribbean descent are also at a higher risk of having a TIA. Although the symptoms of a TIA resolve in a few minutes or hours, you'll need treatment to help prevent another TIA or a full stroke happening in the future.

Others you can control. You can't change the following risk factors for a transient ischemic attack and stroke. But knowing you're at risk can motivate you to change your lifestyle to reduce other risks. You can control or treat a number of factors — including certain health conditions and lifestyle choices — that increase your risk of a stroke. Having one or more of these risk factors doesn't mean you'll have a stroke, but your risk increases if you have two or more of them.

Knowing your risk factors and living healthfully are the best things you can do to prevent a TIA. Included in a healthy lifestyle are regular medical checkups. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview A transient ischemic attack TIA is a temporary period of symptoms similar to those of a stroke.

Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Daroff RB, et al. Ischemic cerebrovascular disease. In: Bradley's Neurology in Clinical Practice. Accessed Jan.

Transient ischemic attack information page. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Acting fast is key — if a stroke is going to happen after a TIA, it usually happens very soon — often within hours or days of the initial TIA symptoms.

Effective treatments to prevent a stroke from occurring are available, but have to be started right away. Call or get to an emergency room right away. All types of strokes — including TIAs — require immediate medical attention.

Because a TIA may eventually lead to a larger stroke, diagnosis and treatment are important. However, TIAs can be challenging to diagnose and require careful monitoring. Comprehensive stroke centers are recognized as having the resources, staff, and training necessary to treat complex stroke cases.

If a TIA is caused by a blockage in the main artery in your neck that supplies blood to the brain — called the carotid artery — you may need surgery to prevent a future stroke.